…as push back begins ahead of 2027
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor Peter Obi, led a massive protest to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, on Wednesday.
Rauf Aregbesola, Aminu Tambuwal, Dino Melaye, David Mark and other leaders and supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are also part of the protest.
The opposition party had accused the electoral body of siding with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to block its chances of fielding candidates in 2027.
On its part, INEC denied the allegation, saying it was working in accordance with the law.
The crisis rocking the ADC reached its height when INEC removed the names of David Mark, National Chairman, and Rauf Argebesola, National Secretary of the party, from its portal.
INEC based its action on the ruling of the Court of Appeal. Daily Trust reports that Nafiu Bala, factional chairman of the party, has been locked in a battle with Mark over control of the party.
Bala, who was Deputy National Vice Chairman of the ADC, had rejected the ratification of Mark as National Chairman, back in July.
He had said after the previous exco of the party resigned, he was supposed to take over as chairman.
He had headed to the court for an injunction to restrain Mark and others under his National Working Committee (NWC) to stop parading themselves as leaders of the party.
He also sought an order to ask INEC to recognise him as acting national chairman.
Bala also sought an order to stop the commission from recognising or dealing with Mark’s group as officials of the party.
The motion ex parte was heard on September 4, 2025, after which Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja granted his prayers and directed the respondents, including INEC, to show cause why the application should not be granted.
Mark had appealed the order on December 18, 2025, challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court, but the court of appeal dismissed the appeal on March 12, 2026, and issued preservatory orders.
Bala had filed another motion on September 15, 2025, seeking to restrain the ADC from holding any convention, congress, conference, or meeting, and to stop INEC from monitoring or recognising any such activities pending the determination of the suit.
Last week, INEC said it received multiple letters from solicitors to both parties, making competing claims to the party’s leadership and issuing various demands.
In its resolutions, INEC said it would abide strictly by the orders of the court of appeal in handling the leadership dispute within the ADC.
